Ironing board



May 1l 1926.

E. S. JOHNSON IRONING :man

1923 2 Sheets-Slxeetl 1 Filed March 5.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E. S. JOHNSON IRONING BOARD Filed March 5. 1923 May l1 1926.

FFEQE.

IRNING BOARD.

Application filed March 5, 1923.

The object of my invention is to provide an ironing board which is simple in construction and which can be easily set up or taken down, and which can be manufactured and marketed at a comparatively low cost.

More particularly, it is my object to provide an ironing board in which the board element is supported by three legs which are capable of movement independently of each other.

Still another object is to provide in such a structure, leg members which will rigidly hold the board member in properposition and which leg members are not in any way connected together by braces or the like.

Still a further object is to provide an ironing boardwith the leg members thereof so arranged that the floor space between the leg members will be left clear, so that a clothes basket may be placed below the ironing board.

Still a further object is to provide sockets for receiving the upper ends of the leg members and which are so arranged that the leg members, when in operative position, will be held against sideward movement thereby eliminating any sideward or crawling movement of the ironing` board.

Still another object is to provide a yielding connection between the leg members and the board member for holding the leg members either in their operative or inoperative position when once assumed.

Still a further object is to provide an ironing board which is so arranged that one of the leg members may be moved to closed position so that a dress may be slipped over the entire board for ironing purposes.

Still a further object is to provide a reinforcing beam on the under side of the board member, which is provided with two inclined surfaces to which two of the leg members are secured, therebv causing the leg members to spread outwardly when in their raised or operative position.

Still a further object is to plrovide an ironing board having legs pivota ly secured thereto and so arranged that the legs will become more firmly locked in operative p0- sition when more pressure is applied upon the board member.

llVith these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter Serial No. 622,825.

more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the underside of my ironing board, the inoperative position of the leg members being shown in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a detail, sectional view taken on line 3-*3 of Figure 2, showing one of the inclined surfaces o-f the reinforcing beam. Figure 4L is a plan view of the underside of one of the socket members.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5*,-5 of ,Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 1, one position of the leg member being shown in dotted lines.

In the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate generally an ironing board member which is of the ordinary construction and of the ordinary shape. Secured to the underside of the board member 10, near the rear end thereof, is the reinforcing beam 11. The beam 11 is provided with a pair of inclined faces 12 and 13 near each of its ends. The beam 11 is provided with flanges 14 which abut against the ironing board member 10 and are secured thereto by means of the screws or the like 15.

The reinforcing beam 11 is provided with an enlarged opening between the inclined surfaces 12 and 13 for eliminating part of the weight of the beam. The reinforcing beam 11 will prevent the cracking or warping of the board member 10 and also serves as a means to which two of the leg members may be secured.

A socket 16 forms a part of my leg structure. A socket member 16 is secured to each of the inclined surfaces 12 and 13 of the beam 11. The socket member is provided with a bottom 17 arranged in two parts which" are in different planes. The adjacent ends of the two parts of the bottom 17 are connected together by a wall 18.

The upper edge of the socket 16 is provided with anroutwardly extending flange 19, which is spotewelded to the beam 11.

A socket 16 is also secured to the underside of the ironing board 10, near the front end thereof and this socket is similar to the socket secured to the surface 12 and 13 u on the beam 11. The socket member, whic is secured 'near the forward end of the ironing 'with an opening A. The opening A Yalso extends into the wall 18. The. ends ol' the opening A are tapered, as at 20. 'instead et' :having the ends of tlieopening meet at a point, l form a notched portion 21, the purpose of which will be hereinafter more -fully set forth.

Received within each of the openings A in the sockets 16 are the leg men'ibers C. 'lhe leg members AC are composed of apair of substantially similar members 22 vand 23. The member 22 lis i'orined of a flat piece of' netal having a Iflongitndi.nal reinforcingrib 2-'1 termed midway between its `side edges. rlhe purpose ot' the rib Betis-to reinforce the member l22.

A pair of inclined walls v25 are `formed from the :member 22 and 4have outwardly extending flanges 26 on their free edges. The member :23 isconstrncted similar to the member 22 and is provided with a rein- 'forcin'g rib 27 and with inclined -walls 28.

n the .free edges of the inclined walls 2S1a're't-he flanges 29. The flanges 29 are designed to rest against the flanges 2'and are somewhat smaller than 'the flanges 26. rllhe flanges 26 are bent around the flanges 29 for `tormin'g a hollow leg member, as clearly shown in Figure of the drawing. The flanges 26 and 29 may be spotwelded together for holding the-leg member against twisting or any other -undesired movement.

From lthe construction of the vparts just described it will be seenrl that the members 22-and23 orma hollow leg member which is made ot'`comparativelyA light material and yet, with its'particular constructionrand arrangei'nent, is very strong and eliicient.

rilhe upper ends of the leg members C are beveled so vas to provide a point 30. The leg members project into the openings A in the sockets 16.

A. bolt or pivot member B1 is mounted inthe wallsfof the socket 1G. The leg members are each pr vided with an .elongated opening The boltmember or pivot 31 crtendsthrongh the elongated opening 32 in the'leg memberandfprevents the removal ofthe legimei'nber .from the socket.

A coil spring 33 is xedto the 4pivot 31 at one end yand is receivedwithinthehollow leg member C. The `free end of the spring 33-is hooked over apin 34, which ha. its'ends 'xed infthesides ot' the Vleg mem ber'C.

`From-the construetion'of the parts just dese1ibed,fit`will 'be .seen that the spring member 83 iisgcompletely "enclosed by the leg member C. The spring 33 tends to pull the pin member 311 towards the pivot member 81 or in other words, to draw the leg C towards and into the socket member 16.

The connecting of the leg member to the .pivot or bolt 3l, by means of the spring 53 gives me a loose yielding connection between the socket or board member and the leg members C, which is very desirable.

A flat plate is interposed between the beam 11 and the underside of the board member 10 'so that Athe upper end 'oli the leg members may rest-or travel .thereoven when moved from one position to another'.

A plate 35a similar to is interposed betweenfthe vsocket 1G near the front end of the board member and the underside'ot' the board member. 'The plate 35 is provided with a raised portion or projection 36, as .clearly shown .in Figure oit the drawings. The plate 315L has a projection simil-ar to the projection 3G on the ,plate 35. One end wall ofthe socket 16 .is also yprovided with a raised iportion 37.

Whenthe leg member is in its inoperative position, it is arranged substantially parallel with the board member 10, as shown in Figure 6.

'lhepoint 30 on the upper end oi the leg member is received just below the projection or raised portion-37. Thefspring 33 tends to force thepoint 30 against'the wall .ofthe socket 16.

lhenthe leg member C is swung to'oper- -ative position, it is necessary-t0 overcome the spring tension and have the point 3() ride over the projection 37. The inclined s1irfaces 12 and'13 are .provided with openings so that the upper end of the legs may project therethrough and ride Yagainst the plate 35.

ylVhen the leg-member is in the position, shown in solid lines inFigure 6 ofthe drawings7 it willbe yieldngly. heldin .that position due to the tension of the spring 33. 'Vhen the leg member C is moved to operative position it is necessary to cause the point 30 thereof to ride over the projection se.

The inclined wall member .28 of the leg will lfit into the tapered Vends of theopening A in the socket member 1G. The leg members C when in operative position7 are inclined from vertical and the greater the pressure upon the board element 10, the .tighter the engagement between the leg members and the tapered ends oit' the opening A.

The notched, portions 21 of the opening A are designed to receive the flanges 2G and 29 off the leg member C. The portions 21 in the openings A aie'larger than' the flanges 26 and 29 so that if Vthere is any wear on the-inclined sides ottheopening A, which .forms-.the tapered ends, the onlvitlnng 'that willliappen willbeto permit theleg'meil'i'-,

lll)

ien

bers to move a little closer to theeuds ol' the .opening without any danger of the flanges of the leg members striking against the edges ol4l the open portions 2l.

lVhen the leg members are in the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 6, they will be held against accidental closing, due to the tension of the spring 33 and the projection 36.

lt will be seen that when the leg member is in operative position, it will tit into the tapered ends of the openings A in such a. manner that there will be no possibility of any sideward movement of the leg members, thus giving me a very rigid ironing board structure without the use of any connecting braces between the lower ends of the legs.

The lower ends of the leg members may be provided with rubber foot pieces 38, which can be secured to the leg members by any suitable means.

The arrangement of the leg members so that there are no cross braces or connections between the lower ends thereof is quite an advantage because it gives me clear door space below the ironing board for receiving a clothes basket or the like.

The front leg member may be moved to inoperative position and a skirt slipped over the board member for ironing purposes. The front end of the ironing` board may then be supported upon a table or a chair The fact that the leg members are each arranged to operate independently of the others, makes it possible to move one to inoperative position when it is desired to iron a dress or the like.

There being no crossv pieces or connecting parts between the lower ends of the legs, permits one of the leg members to be moved to inoperative position without in any way affecting the eiiiciency of the other two.

The yielding connection between the ironing board and the leg members makes it possible to hold the legs in inoperative position when that position is assumed, or in operative position, when that position, when that positioned is assumed.

lt will be seen that I have provided a very eliicient ironing board in which the leg members may be easily and quickly moved to either operative or inoperative position and when once moved to either of their positions, will be yieldingly held in such positions.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts of my invention, without departing irom the real spirit and purpose ot my invention and it is my intention to cover by.

.my claims, any modified forms ot' structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

l. An ironing board of the class described including a board member, three leg members for supporting said board member each being capable of movement independently of the other, two of said leg members being projected outwardly and rearwardly from the board member when in operative position, a pair of socket members mounted upon the underside of the board and at an angle thereto for two of said leg members and a socket for the other leg member secured to the underside of the board member and said sockets having the upper ends of the leg members received therein, said leg members being loosely and pivotally connected to said socket members.

2. An ironing board ot the class described including a board member, a reinforcing beam on the underside of the board member, said beam having two inclined surfaces, a socket secured to each of said inclined surfaces and a socket secured to the underside of the board member, a leg member for each of said sockets loosely connected thereto and partially received therein and adapted to engage the socket at two ditlerent points for retaining said leg members in operative position.

3. An ironing board oit the class described including a board member, a reinforcing4 beam on the 'underside ot the board member, said beam having two inclined surfaces, a socket secured to each of said inclined surfaces and a socket secured to the underside of the board member, a leg member ior each of said sockets loosely connected thereto and partially received therein and adapted to engage the socket at twodilerent points for retaining said leg members in operative position and means for yieldingly holding said leg members either in their operative or inoperative positions.

l. An ironing board of the class described including a board member, a reinforcing beam on the underside of the board member, said beam having two inclined surfaces, a socket secured to each of said inclined surfaces and a socket secured to the underside of the board member, a leg member for each of said sockets pivotally and slidably connected thereto and having one end received in each of said sockets, and means for yieldingly drawing said leg members into said sockets.

5. An ironing board of the class described including a board member, a reinforcing beam on the underside of the board member, said beam having two inclined surfaces, a socket secured to each of said inclined surfaces and a socket secured to the underside of the board member, each of said sockets having an opening in its underside the ends ot which are notched, and leg members extended into the openings in said sockets and arranged to be received in the notched ends or saidopenings when in operative position.

6. An ironing board of the class described including a board .meniben 'a reinforcing beamen the underside 'ofthe boardinember, said beam heif'ingftwo inclined surfaces, a Socket secured to each of said inclined sui"- feces v and 'a socket secured to the underside ofthe board member, each of said sockets having a bottoni therein having parte arranged -in two different planes, said bottom parte .having an opening therein with notched ends, and leg members extended into the openings in Said Socketsvand mmngedto be received in the notched ends of said openings When in operative-position.

ERNEST S. JOHNSON. 

